Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Letter from my state representative

Pennsylvania is considering a bill that will implement a voucher system.  I contacted my state representatives to voice my concerns which include public money to religious institutions (many private schools), public money being used to fund education that is not held to any standards or accountability, and public money to institutions that get to pick and choose who gets in and who doesn't.  That is only a very brief version of the problems I have with school voucher programs and was more detailed in my contact.

Today I got a letter from Lynda Schlegel Culver who is the representative from the 108th district, located in Sunbury and whose email is unashamedly partisan:  lculver@pahousegop.com (please contact her with concerns).    Her response ignored every single one of my concerns while thanking me for the time I took to share them.  In fact, it highlighted the fact that Senate Bill 1 would expand a program that gives tax cuts to corporations that donate money to a scholarship that funds student tuition at NONPUBLIC schools - corporate tax cuts to fund possibly/probably religious institutions.  I thought the letter was bad at that point.

In the closing paragraph, the letter read, "It is important to know that my constituents have concerns when it comes to the debate about increased educational options and parental choice...Rest assured that I will carefully consider the pros and cons of any legislation that reaches the House floor for a vote, and will make my decision based on what is most beneficial for my constituents."  I am a constituent.

Is it just me, or does she not care what my concerns?  Is she going to consider what her constituents want, or is she going to do what she thinks is best?  This letter disgusted me.  Other letters I've gotten have at least responded to at least once concern that I raised, but this one was such a form letter, it couldn't even be bothered to address any of my concerns and actually highlighted one of them as a benefit of the Bill.

1 comment:

Shawn said...

We have a similar set of bills coming up in NC. There is even a bill targeting an income tax credit to lower income people incentivizing them pulling their students out of public school. We have to stop being nice.